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Garretto

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Robert,
My guess is that in your travels you're able to acquire a bottle of Benedictine here and there when needed. I say this because I really love the stuff and if here in AZ it wasn't available due to the whim of some bureaucrat I'd be enraged! All those great bars in the Seattle area, do they have to go buy it in Portland?
It's a great ingredient! I love the Vieux Carre and La Louisiane you introduced me to via The Cocktail Spirit. Also, the Bulls Manahattan by Dale Degroff is a fantastic use of Benedictine.
I shall try the Derby, like it, and savor each bottle of Benedictine.
Thanks
Garretto

I am familiar with this "web-browser" you speak of. This is where AZ laws get "bizarro."
My family tried to ship some wine to us from a winery out of state and they had to ship it to a liquor store for us to pick up, they couldn't ship it directly to our door.
For this reason I have never considered (or had the need to due to the availability of most booze) ordering liquor on line. This law may have changed for all I know.
It is bizarro that in WA you can have booze delivered to your door via mail, but can't pick up a bottle of gin at the grocery store.
Glad to hear you have a convenient method of acquiring your Benedictine.
You certainly have better bars in your neck of the woods regardless of the State's grip.

Robert,
Great episode and your advise on building up the bar drink by drink is right on.
I started this hobby/endeavor about a year ago and also found another way to get more miles out of an ingredient, like say, Luxardo maraschino, is to search recipes on websites, such as yours, drinkboy.com and cocktailsDB. I bought the bottle for the Aviation Cocktail, then searched by "maraschino liquor" and found many others.
Finally, I've got around to buying the expensive green Chartreuse and I plan on making The Last Word this weekend. Sometimes the little 2oz bottles are a good way to test a drink before committing to a full and expensive bottle. I did this with St Germaines. And that's the next biggy on my list. Great show.

Robert,
The only other drink I know of consisting of that much vermouth (let alone without another base liquor) is your Black Feather cocktail----which is outstanding.
I'll crack open a new bottle of Noilly Pratt and give it a try.
Thanks again.

Always looking for a good tequila drink for there are so few.
This looks great, though I need some clarification on the ginger beverage.
The recipe listed calls for ginger beer, and ginger ale is used in the demo.
I love ginger beer though I don't have any idea how it plays with cassis and tequila ---I could see ginger ale being a gentle enough sweetener to play nice.
Another ginger beer drink would be great ---love the Anjeo Highball you introduced a while back. In fact I haven't found anyone who doesn't like it.
Thanks, Robert
G

This sounds very good! I would think that this not quite a tropical drink, as is the Singapore Sling. The pineapple juice in the Singapore renders it tropical to my taste.
Pineapple juice can be overbearing, and has been in my experience ordering tropical drinks at bars. How disappointed I was in the Mai Tai's at "Don The Beachcombers" at the Royal Kona Hotel ----I guess Don's recipe called for pineapple juice (vs Trader Vic's) and in the hands of the bartender there, the juice drowned even the orgeat.
I checked out the DrinkBoy version of the Singapore and noticed it has twice the pineapple juice and half the Benedictine than the recipe I acquired from Chris McMillian.
Degroff's is basically the same as Robert's recipe, though it calls for 1 ounce less pineapple juice. For a less sweet Singapore, up the Benedictine a 1/4 oz and reduce the pineapple juice to 2 oz --- see Chris' video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABl4syZQih0
Anyway, this Straits Sling looks great ---a good amount of Benedictine with the Heering, lemon and Gin and bitters, it's gotta be good. --Thanks, Robert

Wow! All I don't know about eggs now is the old question "who came first?"
Care to field that one, Berkana?
I kid, Berkana and hope I haven't inadvertently egged him on.
If you haven't had a whiskey sour with a whole eggwhite (I used a AA, white and oval egg, not sure of it's nesty dig's vibe, or if it's mother was a loving one) you haven't enjoyed a WS at it's most luscious. Couldn't happen without the dry-shake as Jamie illustrated so well. See this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShiHf3oKUF4
Chris McMillian does a beauty whiskey sour.
Oh, just realized I confused my eggs with my battery purchase. Not sure on the "A" count now, better go make another.
!Salud!

The cold hard facts, it's amazing how some people don't get it. I've had so many drinks shaken with wet ice. Diluted and not cold enough.
I often see the term "shaved ice", what exactly is that process?
I'm pretty certain it doesn't involve a razor, though it may with that American Bartenders School video guy--- you know, rather than throw out the hairy cube.
What is shaved ice?

Thank you, Mr. Hess.
I wish I could recall the drink recipes where shaved ice was the cooling source.
Now that I think about it, I believe I've actually seen someone using one of those at a carnival or street festival making cones and flavoring with colorful syrups.
I hope you'll continue to spare us the shaved ice ingredient in your very fine drink creations.
Garretto

First, looking forward to making the drink. Also, I agree with the previous gentlemen, on more discussion on the ingredients, technique, inspirations for your own creations etc...
You sight, the lemon twist over the drink lesson ----that's made all the difference in my dry martinis, I had never read or heard about that anywhere else. I would assume that anyone who has just discovered your great videos has gone back (or will) and check them all out, but I don't find it redundant to beat these techniques into us when applicable.
Thanks for another drink to try.

I originally tried this/your drink from Gary Regan's "Joy of Mixology" and I guess my palette was not sophisticated enough, or maybe the vermouth wasn't fresh --whatever the case,
I did not enjoy the drink at all. A year later I see you prepare it on the show and I try it again.....damn! What a wonderful drink!! That subtle hint of Cointreau, the balance of the vermouth ----just a beautiful balance. Since, I've been adding more french vermouth to my martinis ----great!! Bravo!